When adjusting to a new job, there are a few things that every new employee experiences. You know, just some of the typical things like jumping into a new culture, getting to know coworkers, and traveling to Hungary on your own. What? Doesn’t everyone spend their first two weeks of a new job in a foreign country? Well, that’s exactly what happened during my first two weeks at Captura.
As I began work with Captura, I found out I would be developing an iPhone and Android app with a Hungarian development team. My role was to work with designers and help the developers integrate the designs. Discussions about the project started with “How comfortable are you working with an international team?” and gradually moved to “How do you feel about traveling to Hungary?” New job, new country, leaving in less than a week, and going solo. Wow. Once the initial shock passed, I began to look forward to the trip, especially since it would be my first time in Europe. Thanks to my wonderful, understanding wife and a valid passport, I was all set to go.
The part of the world where I would be spending the next two weeks.
Although I had already talked to the team and done some work on the project, I really had no idea what to expect in Hungary. Once I arrived, we got straight to business, creating graphical assets and working through interactions and flows in the app. The paradigm shift between mobile, touch-based input and a traditional mouse and keyboard was striking. Things like screen transitions, UI placement, and gestures that had been mocked up on a computer often needed much more thought once we tried them out on the device. Mobile, touch-based devices present such interesting and challenging design problems. They’re really a lot of fun to work on.
I learned a lot on this trip. My skills grew in the way that I approach mobile design and development. As a consultant, I grew in confidence by working on a new project and in a new country on my own. Cultural and language barriers pushed me to communicate with clarity and efficiency. And personally, the cultural differences enriched my view of the world.
A beautiful arch in Buda Castle.
Not only did I learn from the culture, but I enjoyed it quite a bit as well. The food was great and made up of hearty meats and vegetables with lots of (cough-cough) paprika. Their historical sites were full of beautiful and interesting architecture. I toured the Castle District with the Buda Castle and Matthias Church, walked around Hősök tere (“Heroes’ Square”), and hiked up Gellárt Hill for an incredible view of the city at night.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Hungary and it was definitely an interesting (albeit unexpected) way to start a new job. If you really want to get a good look at my stay over seas, check out my video and album below.
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